On this Spot in 1962, Cars Parked

For a second or two, in the low light of morning, I thought I was reading The Onion.

I was not.

CEDAR RAPIDS – The city has secured permission to tear down the rickety, flood-damaged yet historic First Street Parkade – with the “unique spiral exit ramp” – if it creates a new historic district on Second Avenue SE as a tribute to the automobile.The new district is to be called the Second Avenue SE Automobile Row Historic District to recognize the past life of parts of the stretch of street as a home to auto dealerships and auto repair shops, according to a “memorandum of agreement” approved by the City Council last night.

The new district is to be called the Second Avenue SE Automobile Row Historic District to recognize the past life of parts of the stretch of street as a home to auto dealerships and auto repair shops, according to a “memorandum of agreement” approved by the City Council last night.

Basically, FEMA and state preservationists say the 50-year-old parking garage is historic. Its spiral ramp feature is significant, stirring even. If the city's going to knock the heap down, it has to tip its hat to history in some other fashion.

Maybe the Second Ave. SE Automible Row Historic District is a small price to pay for progress. Stick up some signs. Feds happy. State happy. Locals smirk.

"Here, on this spot, from 1961-2008, automobiles were parked in rows on different levels while their drivers conducted various commercial business and ran personal errands of a largely mundane nature. The spiral ramp provided a pleasing visual vista for those who chose to stand on a nearby bridge and stare at it. Some kids also liked to ride bikes down it, which was sort of dangerous but fun. Thanks for visiting."

I suppose there is some automotive history downtown worth preserving, so if this sparks something more interesting, swell. But if you create too many historic districts, eventually, the designation isn't going to mean much.

I'm a staunch ally of historic preservation. That's why I cringe when its scarce public capital gets burned up on stuff like this. Not everything is worth preserving, including this garage.

I

explained in a previous post how this parking garage was actually part of the the most infamous preservation defeat in the city's history, the demolition of Union Station.